Echeveria plant named ‘Gorgon&#39;s Grotto’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct  Echeveria  cultivar named ‘Gorgon&#39;s Grotto’ is disclosed, characterized strongly developed carunculations with carunculated anfractuous leaf apices and highly anfracutuous leaf margins. Foliage is distinctively greyed-purple with large pink caruncles. Plant diameter is unusually large for an  Echeveria . The new variety is an  Echeveria , typically produced as a garden or container plant.

Latin name of the genus and species: Echeveria hybrid.

Variety denomination: ‘Gorgon's Grotto’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The new cultivar is a product of a planned breeding program. The new variety originated from a cross pollination of the unpatented, proprietary seed parent, Echeveria hybrid referred to as ‘Enhanced Mauna Loa’ with the pollen parent an unpatented proprietary Echeveria hybrid referred to as ‘#3’ The crossing was made during November of 2005 in Vista, Calif., at a commercial greenhouse. ‘Gorgon's Grotto’ was discovered by the inventor, Renee O'Connell, in October 2006, in Vista, Calif. at a commercial greenhouse.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar ‘Gorgon's Grotto’ was first performed in Vista, Calif., at a commercial greenhouse by vegetative leaf cuttings in October 2006. ‘Gorgon's Grotto’ has since produced several generations and has shown that the unique features of this cultivar are stable and reproduced true to type.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar ‘Gorgon's Grotto’ has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, day length, and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Gorgon's Grotto.’ These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Gorgon's Grotto’ as a new and distinct Echeveria cultivar:

-   -   1. Strongly developed carunculations with carunculated         anfractuous leaf apices.     -   2. Highly anfracutuous leaf margins.     -   3. Distinctive greyed-purple foliage with large pink caruncles.     -   4. Unusually large plant diameter for an Echeveria.

PARENTAL COMPARISON

Plants of the new cultivar ‘Gorgon's Grotto’ are similar to the seed parent ‘Enhanced Mauna Loa’ in most horticultural characteristics. However, ‘Gorgon's Grotto’ exhibits unusual, highly anfractuous leaf margins not seen on the seed parent. Additionally, plants of ‘Gorgon's Grotto’ are larger than the seed parent, and have a different foliage color.

Plants of the new cultivar ‘Gorgon's Grotto’ are similar to the pollen parent ‘#3’ in most horticultural characteristics. However, ‘Gorgon's Grotto’ shows better resistance to typical diseases and pests of Echeveria than exhibited by Echeveria hybrid ‘#3.’ Additionally, foliage of ‘Gorgon's Grotto’ exhibits margins that are much more anfractuous than Echeveria ‘#3.’ Gorgon's Grotto also has a different foliage color and different plant shape than Echeveria ‘#3’.

COMMERCIAL COMPARISON

‘Gorgon's Grotto’ can be compared to the unpatented commercial variety Echeveria ‘Barbillion.’ Plants of Echeveria ‘Barbillion’ are similar to plants of ‘Gorgon's Grotto’ in most horticultural characteristics. However, ‘Gorgon's Grotto’ grows larger, and has an overall different foliage color than ‘Barbillion.’ Additionally, ‘Gorgon's Grotto’ produces much more anfractuous margins than Barbillion, and has anfractuous carunculated apices, not produced by ‘Barbillion’.

‘Gorgon's Grotto’ can also be compared to the unpatented commercial variety Echeveria ‘Cameo.’ Plants of Echeveria ‘Cameo’ are similar to plants of ‘Gorgon's Grotto’ in most horticultural characteristics. However, ‘Gorgon's Grotto’ does not fade in foliage coloration with age, as is typical of ‘Cameo.’ Additionally, the foliage of ‘Gorgon's Grotto’ has a many more leaf carunculations with complex formation than the foliage of ‘Cameo.’ Overall foliage coloration of ‘Gorgon's Grotto’ is also greyed-purple, compared to green-blue of ‘Cameo’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying photograph in FIG. 1 illustrates in full color a typical plant of ‘Gorgon's Grotto’ grown outdoors in Vista, Calif. This plant is approximately 10 months old, shown in a 6 inch pot. The photograph was taken using conventional techniques and although colors may appear different from actual colors due to light reflectance it is as accurate as possible by conventional photographic techniques.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to the Panton Process Color System Guide, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. The following observations and measurements describe ‘Gorgon's Grotto’ plants in a commercial greenhouse in Vista, Calif. Temperatures ranged from −1° C. to 29° C. night and day. No artificial light, photoperiodic treatments or chemical treatments were given to the plants. Natural light conditions were approximately 2500 to 4000 fc of light. Measurements and numerical values represent averages of typical plant types.

-   Botanical classification: Echeveria hybrid ‘Gorgon's Grotto’. -   Age of the plant described: Approximately 5 months.

PROPAGATION

-   Time to initiate roots: About 25 days at approximately 21° C. -   Root description: Fibrous. -   Propagation method: Vegetative leaf cuttings.

PLANT

-   Growth habit: Rosulate, sessile, rarely branching, succulent. -   Container size: 6 inch. -   Height: Approximately 17 cm to top of highest leaf. -   Plant spread: Approximately 29 cm. -   Growth rate: Moderate. -   Branching characteristics: Rarely.

FOLIAGE

-   Leaf:     -   -   Arrangement.—Rosulate.         -   Average length.—Approximately 13 cm.         -   Widest width.—Approximately 10 cm.         -   Width at base.—Approximately 2.75 cm.         -   Shape of blade.—Spatulate.         -   Apex.—Anfractuous.         -   Base.—Rounded.         -   Margin.—Exceedingly crenulate, anfractuous.         -   Texture of top surface.—Glabrous, pruinose, carunculate.         -   Texture of bottom surface.—Glabrous, pruinose.         -   Quantity of leaves per plant.—Approximately 20.         -   Color.—Young foliage upper side: Near S 256-7 Pantone. Young             foliage, margin: Near S 286-6 to S 118-6 Pantone. Young             foliage, caruncle: Near S 286-6 and S 286-7 Pantone. Young             foliage under side: Near S 256-7 Pantone. Mature foliage             upper side: Near S 137-5 and S 135-4 Pantone. Mature             foliage, margin: Near S 140-1 Pantone. Mature foliage upper             side, where pruinose covering removed: Near S 140-2 Pantone.             Mature foliage under side: Near S 329-6 green overlaid by S             140-6 Pantone.         -   Venation.—Type: Parallel. Venation color upper side:             Indistinguishable from overall foliage color. Venation color             under side: Indistinguishable from overall foliage color.

FLOWER

-   Flowering: Flowering has not been observed to date in the new     variety.

OTHER CHARACTERISTICS

-   Fruits and seeds: Not observed to date. -   Temperature tolerance: Tolerates temperatures from approximately     −2° C. to 32° C. -   Disease/pest resistance: Neither resistance nor susceptibility to     normal diseases and pests of Echeveria has been observed. -   Drought tolerance: Tolerates at least 2 weeks of high temperatures     without supplemental water, showing no serious damage to plant. 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Echeveria plant named ‘Gorgon's Grotto’ as herein illustrated and described. 